KEY POINTS

  • The teacher engaged in sex acts with the boy twice a week
  • The teacher allegedly threatened the boy with harming herself and him if anyone found out
  • She pleaded guilty to three counts of statutory sexual assault

A former Pennsylvania gym teacher Tuesday pleaded guilty in Crawford County Court to repeatedly sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy, reported the New York Post. Rochelle Cressman, 33, a former teacher at Titusville Middle School, was arrested in May 2019.

Cressman was charged with a total of 66 counts for repeatedly sexually assaulting the teen, allegedly during a period of seven months from September 2018 to April 2019. She reportedly initiated the sexual relationship with her student while she was a teacher at the school.

She pleaded guilty to three counts of statutory sexual assault. In exchange for her guilty plea, the Crawford County District Attorney's Office has decided not to prosecute her on the other 63 counts.

The initial charges against Cressman in May 2019 were 10 counts of statutory sexual assault, 10 counts of Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse (IDSI) and 42 counts of indecent assault involving a person less than 16 years of age.

Statutory sexual assault is a first-degree felony. Each count calls for a maximum penalty of 20 years in jail and a $25,000 fine.

boy
The investigation found that the teacher had repeatedly threatened the teen boy of harm if he revealed their relationship to anyone. pixabay

Investigators stated that Cressman had repeatedly engaged in sexual activities with her student, twice a week during the period of seven months. She reportedly engaged in sex acts with the boy at her residence in Oil Creek Township and at a residence in Titusville.

Police also stated that Cressman had told the victim multiple times, not to reveal their relationship to anyone. She also threatened to harm herself and him if anyone were to find out about it, police said, according to TimesObserver.

Paula DiGiacomo, Crawford County First Assistant District Attorney, said that as part of the plea agreement, prosecutors would seek a sentence of a minimum of six years in jail and a maximum of no more than 12 years. The sentencing is scheduled for February.

Cressman is also required to register as a sexual offender for the rest of her life. She would need to serve probation of 10 years, following completion of her sentence. She is classified as a Tier 3 sexual offender, reported The Meadville Tribune.

A Tier 3 sexual offender is required to register address and other information every quarter for life, as per the law in Pennsylvania.

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